A/N: Hey all! I don't know why but the sudden urge to write a HSM story hit me so here it goes! It shouldn't be too long, 6 or 7 chapters that go all the way through senior year. It's just supposed to be a series of moments that occur each year that sort of depict their growth and, of course, drama over the years. Hope you enjoy! :)

It's her first day of high school, and any sense of excitement that was bubbling in her stomach the night before is suddenly squashed with the weighty feel of anxiety and nervousness. This place was massive, and as soon as Gabriella stepped into the bustling hallway, someone bumped roughly into her side and caused her books to tumble from her arms and onto the floor.

She smoothed her hands down her white skirt and adjusted her soft blue top slightly, cinnamon cheeks warming and teeth running nervously across her braces when she noticed a group of seniors nearby chuckling with each other at her misfortune. Just as she was bending to retrieve her books a hand at her shoulder stopped her.

"Gabby, Gabby. Already embarrassing yourself on the first day?" came an amused masculine voice.

The dark haired girl straightened with a dazzling smile as she caught sight of her older brother's smiling face before her. A fond grin stretched his handsome face, dark eyes glinting and white teeth showing stark against the soft brown of his skin.

"Cut her some slack, Alex. The first day is always the shittiest. And that guy was really an asshole."

All those butterflies Gabriella had been missing just a few moments ago suddenly appeared full force in the pit of her stomach. Tucking a thick, curly strand of black hair behind her ear, she smiled bashfully at the young man before her.

"Hey, Troy," she said softly before retrieving her books from the floor, letting her shoulder length hair shield her face and the tint of red that was beginning to dust across her cheeks.

Troy Bolton was…a god. Tousled golden brown hair, piercing blue eyes that could make you melt within seconds, a lean body that was built with the perfect amount of muscle, and a face that was chiseled by the gods themselves…Troy Bolton was the epitome of perfection.

He and her brother had been the best of friends since they were about ten after they had bonded over a prank involving roaches and the morning coffee of a teacher they both happened to mutually dislike. Never had Gabriella seen two boys so inseparable. Of course, with Alex and Troy being so inseparable, she also spent a fair amount of her life around Troy as well. It was difficult growing up with two boys that were two years older. They teased her relentlessly when they were children, and she often had a difficult time feeling included, but things were quick to change as they aged. Before her eyes they grew into handsome young men, smart and strong and good, and she was swiftly pulled beneath the always persistent protection of their arms. She and Alex were extremely fond of each other, and Alex's fondness for his young sibling was instantly shared by his friend. They were an extremely tight-knit trio, though both boys began to drift slightly from Gabriella when they entered high school and they were introduced into the world of sports, girls, popularity, and alcohol.

It was at the tender age of twelve when Gabriella realized she was crushing on her brother's best friend. She expected her feelings to fade over time, but they hadn't lessened in the slightest, and she was left to mull over her feelings in silent turmoil for years, knowing her brother would greatly disapprove and those feelings would never be returned by someone like Troy. She was just a normal girl, no extraordinary qualities, not beautiful like the girls he would date, and not intoxicating or wild like the girls he would sleep with. Troy was something special, and he deserved someone special in return.

"Here, let me take those," Troy said with a cheeky smile, taking Gabriella's heavy books from her arms. She smiled gratefully, the tiny ache beginning to form in her arms dissipating.

Alex casually tossed an arm across his sister's shoulders and began to lead her nonchalantly down the crowded hall, Troy flanking her other side.

"It's important to keep up around here, Gabs," Alex said knowingly, bumping knuckles with a fellow basketball player as they went. "Shit can get pretty fast paced and you don't want to be left behind."

Troy nodded. "Yup, you've just entered a dog eat dog world. Only the strong survive." Gabriella saw him wink at a pretty blonde cheerleader and tried desperately to ignore the not so subtle burn of jealousy in her chest.

The pretty young Latina rolled her eyes. "You guys really suck at giving pep talks," she said with a soft, nervous laugh.

"We're kidding, Brie," Alex laughed, squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. "Don't let anyone scare you. You're more badass than they think they are."

"And if anyone bothers you, just let us know," Troy stated in a jokingly menacing matter but with slightly serious undertones. "We'll take care of it."

They stopped walking at the sight of Taylor, Gabriella's best friend, waving at her from down the hall, a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, no matter how nerdy you are, no one will mess with you and get away with it," Alex teased, ruffling her hair.

Another reassuring hug from him and he was turning to find his friends down the hall. Troy smiled gently at her, passed her books back into her arms, and leaned forward to press a kiss against her cheek, a common action between the two. His soft lips against her skin sent a chill running down her spine. The hand he laid against her should made her entire arm tingle, and his cologne smelt so good she thought she would swoon. Why was he so perfect?

"Bye, Brie," he called, joining Alex down the hall.

She watched the two junior boys mingle, noticed the way they seemed to command attention as they moved, the way everyone seemed to greet them, the way they caused the entire atmosphere to vibrate around them.

She sighed mentally. How would a studious little nerd like her ever fit in the way her brother had? How would she every command anyone's attention like that much less his?

"Girl, you got it bad," Taylor's voice piped up suddenly at her side, the African American girl smiling sympathetically and amusedly at her friend.

Gabriella groaned. "I know. Why won't my feelings just go away."

Taylor smiled and hooked her arm in hers and began to drag her through the crowd. "Oh they will. We've just entered a new world Gabs! Someone here will catch your eye, and Troy Bolton will just be a memory."

Gabriella smiled hopefully. Of course she was right.

It's raining outside, thick, heavy, almost black sheets of water pouring down from the tumultuous sky and slamming against the school mercilessly. The hallways are exceptionally crowded today, as the outdoor hang out spots are out of the question, and Gabriella attempts to push her way through the masses with bubbling frustration.

A few months into high school, and she has remained completely invisible. She doesn't stand out, but she doesn't blend in. She simply exists in a world that seems to belong to everyone else. Having a brother and a close friend who were basketball stars and exceptionally popular didn't seem to help her. While she was normally satisfied with staying out of the spotlight, her invisibility aggravated her and made her feel minute. Alex was practically worshipped in this school, and no one could even remember her name. If she couldn't catch just one person's eye in a school full of so many people, how could she catch his? Inadequacy was absolutely brutal.

With a sigh of relief, Gabriella finally managed to reach her locker without having her feet trampled on or being shouldered by any fast paced walkers. Rolling her deep chocolate eyes at two boys rough housing with each other a couple of lockers down, she focused on turning the knob on her lock to the correct numbers, clicking her tongue in annoyance when her fingers slipped and messed up the combination.

Just as her lock clicked open, a hard body slammed into hers from the side, and she was sent flying into the person on her left with a tiny shriek. She hit his back and sent him stumbling forward, Gatorade flying out of the opened top of the bottle and splashing onto his white shirt.

Finally gaining her footing, Gabriella stared at the red head with horrified eyes, taking in the growing red stain on his shirt and furious twist of his face.

"I'm-I'm so sorry," she gasped out, nervously grabbing onto a short strand of hair. The guy before her was tall, nearly a foot taller than her, and his face was turning as red as his hair as his brown eyes narrowed into slits.

"What the fuck is your problem, Freshman?" he asked menacingly, and Gabriella tried to shrink back as best as she could.

She glanced over her shoulder to see that the two rough housing idiots had vanished, and she was going to take the brunt of this guy's anger.

"Well, it-it wasn't me. I, um-"

"Listen up, Frosh," he interrupted impatiently, angrily. "If you want to run around and act like an idiot with your geeky friends that's fine, but you better recognize that you're at the bottom of the totem pole now and-"

The finger that he had been pointing in her face was suddenly slapped away, and Gabriella looked up in shock to see the stern face of her brother, his dark eyes glaring at the red head. Troy popped out from behind Alex and smoothly slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against his sturdy body protectively. He smiled down at her reassuringly, and she smiled back softly. The soft cotton of his black tee felt nice, and he smelled so good.

"Dude, back off," Alex stated curtly, positioning himself in front of Gabriella so that he was facing the red head. "It wasn't her fault."

"What the hell is it to you, Montez?" the red head shot back, though he was becoming visibly calmer, no doubt recognizing the fact that he was now outnumbered.

"She's my sister," Alex said simply, and the red head looked confused.

"Oh," was his short reply. The irritation hadn't completely left his face when he rested his eyes on her after glancing at both boys, who still hadn't stopped glaring at him. "Didn't know that. Well, my bad then."

Gabriella's eyebrows raised when he turned without another word and walked off, still trying to wipe off liquid from his shirt. Alex turned to her with a slightly amused grin even though his brows were furrowed a bit.

"You shouldn't be so timid, Gabby," he advised in a brotherly manner, leaning against a locker and crossing his muscled arms over his chest. "Half these people are all bark and no bite. They just need to be put in their place, you know. Don't be afraid to tell them shit."

"Easy for you to say," Gabriella mumbled indignantly, silently relishing in the feel of Troy's strong arm against her back and the way they moved when he shifted slightly. "People practically fall at your feet here and wouldn't even try saying these things to you."

Both of the older boys chuckled, and Alex grinned proudly, puffing out his chest jokingly.

"Cut her some slack, Alex," Troy said, smiling down at her fondly. "She's still trying to adjust to life in the jungle."

The corner of his eyes crinkled a bit when he smiled, and their vibrant blue hue seemed to sparkle in the dreary atmosphere. Gabriella's stomach dropped again, and she could feel a faint fluttering in her chest.

Someone down the hall called Alex's name, and he turned to greet them. Then, Troy leaned down, mouth burying in her hair, lips brushing oh so softly against the shell of her ear and warm breath blowing gently across her cheek. His arm tightened around her to pull her closer, and she let her body bend into his.

"Well," he whispered teasingly. "You seem to be attracting all the wrong attention."

A blush lit her cheeks, and she prayed that he didn't feel the violent shudder that wracked her spine. With a wink and a grin, he released her and bumped shoulders with Alex, and they began their trek down their halls.

The irony of his statement set a furrow in Gabriella's brow and a small scowl at her lips. Yeah, she was attracting all the wrong attention. Because none of it was his.

Gabriella sighed in relief when she entered the science lab. The soft clinking of beakers, the scratch of busy pencils, the bubbling of boiling liquids. Something about this place made her feel safe and at home. It was her own little world where she prospered. Taylor had convinced her not too long ago to join the Scholastic Decathlon team with her, and Gabriella really found herself enjoying it. Alex had joked that she was officially part of the nerd herd, but, seeing as she was already so completely invisible to everyone, she didn't mind. Plus, she had met some great people, great friends that she bonded with almost instantly, like bubbly, charismatic Martha and sweet, soft Kelsi.

She smiled to herself when she thought of her friends. She really loved them. They were great people, and they helped this year of newness become a little more familiar.

"Hey!" came a sudden greeting, and Troy jumped up onto the table she was seated at and plopped down on it. She glanced up in surprise, tearing her focus off of the math problem she had been trying to solve.

"Hey," she said with a soft smile, the feel of her braces under her lips more annoying than usual. "Shouldn't you be in class or something?"

He laughed, muscular chest rising and falling gloriously and pristinely white snowflakes falling from his hair onto the table. Snow? Why in the world had he been outside in the middle of class? She turned her russet eyes up to his questioningly.

"Oh," he said, causally picking up a test tube with some clear liquid in it and sniffing it. She swatted his leg softly, and he grinned sheepishly and set it back down in the test tube tray. "I just stepped out for a quick smoke."

Her nose scrunched unconsciously in disgust. She didn't even know he smoked cigarettes. It was so…so gross. And gross wasn't something she had ever associated with Troy before, ever.

"What?" he asked, eyes going a little wide as he noticed the sudden disapproval that crossed her face. "You don't like that I smoke?"

"Eh," the young Latina responded with a shrug and a grimace on her face, trying her best to display her disapproval without being too harsh.

Troy didn't seem fazed, however. He simply smiled at her gently, eyes soft, and reached out to tuck a loose wave behind her ear. "Brie, if you don't like that I smoke, I'll quit."

Her eyes widened, mostly due to his words but some in part of his very sweet movement. "Real-really?"

He nodded seriously, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, golden brown hair falling into his brilliant eyes. God, he was exquisite.

"Just for you, Brie," he said smiling. "Honestly, I'm not even sure why I do it in the first place. The perks aren't that great anyway."

Gabriella beamed up at him, ecstatic to have even some kind of influence over him. "Good," she said. "Smoking definitely doesn't suit you."

He smiled and opened his mouth to respond when his gaze abruptly snapped away from hers. She followed his line of sight to see through the open door a girl attempting to open her locker. Even from the back, Gabriella could tell she was pretty with her long dirty blonde hair, perfectly tanned skin, and long, shapely legs. Just Troy's type. And he seemed to be thinking the same.

"I'll catch you later, Brie." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before practically running from the science lab without another glance in her direction. She watched as he sidled up to the girl with a sexy grin and confident gaze. He had her within seconds.

Gabriella felt her eyes burn, her stomach plummet, her chest shudder in pain. Looking away quickly, she breathed in deeply several times, hoping to calm herself before anyone could glance in her direction and see her heart breaking all over the lab table.

She would never be that girl, would she? It was already January, and after several months of high school, she was no closer to getting over Troy than she was in September. In fact, she was sure that she was now even further from that goal than ever. But she was trying so hard, so hard to focus her heart on anything but him. So why wasn't it working?

Gabriella could feel herself sinking a bit. She wasn't unhappy, not in the least, but she wasn't happy either. And for once, it didn't all have to do with Troy. Of course, he was part of it, but it was about her too. It was about the fact that her Scholastic Decathlon team had won their biggest competition yet last week, and no one despite the people who were personally involved, even cared. It was about her brother being among the most popular guys in the school and no one even knowing they were related or her name for that matter. It was about a lack of recognition, spontaneity, drama, intensity, and…Troy.

Freshman year was supposed to be all about new experiences, experiences that were going to maybe change the boring, mundane pattern of her life into something fun and exciting. But nothing had changed. She still felt like she was on the outside looking in, like everyone around her was living up life to the fullest while she was just floating through. Her friends had also voiced their woes over the lack of thrill they were also experiencing, and Gabriella found great comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone. Maybe together they could fix that over the summer.

With a heavy sigh, Gabriella glanced around the front of the nearly empty school impatiently. She was seated alone on the front steps, waiting for Alex so that he could give her a ride home. It was a warm May Friday. The sun was high and bright, the breeze warm and slight. It was a beautiful day, and she was eager to get home so that she and Taylor could hang out at the Montez pool like they had planned before the sun went down.

Several loud laughs and guffaws sounded to her right, and Gabriella distractedly turned her head in the same direction, catching sight of her brother among a group of his friends. Irritation flared in her stomach, and she stood angrily, dusting off the back of her jeans sharply. She'd been waiting here for fifteen minutes for him, and he had just been a few feet from her yapping away with his stupid friends. Really.

Slinging her backpack across one shoulder, she stalked toward the group. Once she was within a couple feet of them and their eyes fell on her approaching form, the nerves and uncertainty hit her full force. She never spoke to his friends before, and the way they eyed her suspiciously and confusedly made her want to just shrink away. People staring at her made her nervous beyond belief.

"Oh shit, Gabs! I totally forgot you were waiting for me!" Alex said apologetically when he finally spotted her.

She tried to smile, but the unrelenting stares only allowed for her to a produce a squeamish half smile, and she clutched the strap of her purple backpack more tightly. Her eyes caught Troy among the group, and he smiled brightly at her, unaware of her discomfort.

"Is this your sister?" one dark, shaggy haired guy asked, glancing between the two.

"Yeah," Alex answered with a smile.

"I didn't even know you had a sister," the dark haired guy, Jason, said with a laugh.

"Dude, I don't know how many times I've told all of you I did."

Two girls, Gabriella thought their names were Claire and Miranda, eyed her with amusement, condescending and cold. Analytical eyes moved from her worn brown sandals and chipped pink toe nail polish, up her slightly baggy jeans and blue t shirt, to the medium length of her waves pulled back into a ponytail. The judgment in their eyes was poorly concealed, and the cold weight of shame rested heavily on Gabriella's chest. Never had she been so aware of her stupid braces, poorly kept hair, or lack of pretty femininity in her outfit. It made her feet fidget in discomfort and her palms a little sweaty.

The girls didn't have to say anything. Their twisted smirks and squinted eyes said it all. Gabriella wasn't good enough. She was a tiny little pebble in a bucket full of diamonds. Were they all looking at her like that?

She couldn't breathe. She didn't know what was worse, being invisible or finally being noticed and not being good enough.

"You know what," Gabriella said softly yet hastily, interrupting whatever Alex was trying to say. "I think Taylor's still around here somewhere. I'll catch a ride with her."

"But-" Alex started.

She shot everyone a stiff smile before turning around and practically running back to the school, hoping Taylor was actually still here. Fortunately, her friend was just exiting the school, and Gabriella rushed over to her. Tossing one last glance over her shoulder, she saw both Alex and Troy eyeing her worriedly, though the rest of the group continued on in their chatter.

She whipped back around before they could spot the tears at the corners of her eyes. They would never understand. They've always been talented and popular and loved by everyone, so they don't know what it feels like to be unimportant. She didn't blame them for her pain, of course. She was happy for them and the way they had found their niches so easily.

It would be up to her to find her own somehow.

A/N: Next chapter is summer!